Opinion: Can You Hear Moi?

WSJ Europe editorial writer Anne Jolis on a new French law that expands the state’s extensive surveillance capabilities. Photo: Getty Images

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... the SEC has been the roundly criticized for its surveillance policies but did you know what does happen in France this week ... I've got Wall Street Journal Europe editorial writer and Joly's joining me now from London ... to explain that ... any what's Herceptin ... well the French Senate this week on Tuesday just passed a set of measures that ... as spell out the protocols and the rules for in various French government agencies not just security and homeland defense but also ... add budget the economy various government ministries ... to answer bail and monitor online data and were not just talking about ... you know that that demanded immature emails but also the content of your digital transmissions ... add these men says ... among other changes ... remove some of the checks for these agencies to access the French users' digital information ... to remove the need for air for these agencies to go to a judge for us ... and away the measures are written ... at all that's required now look at the creek this administrative access so that these designated government officials ... in these ministries ... can just go to that telecom operator or eat even a user's network ... and get the information they want directly ... including in real time so they get network access they can ... be sitting there and monitoring your your additional activities in real time ... this is the height of hypocrisy money you're basically telling me ... that the NSA has oversight from Congress from the White House from the port ... and the French spies not just the SPY is by ... all other departments ... changes state officials ... said officials insist they did do all we want this email account and we want it now ... right I mean and the officials who are able to do these in the given agencies are designated are appointed by the Prime Minister ... and yes then they can just get that information the way the regime works out there is some oversight but after the fact ... Abbi at committee ... still a it's not like that to get prior approval it's it's committee review after the fact selling goes further than anything the NSA guys any of this is France so I have to ask is this bail protectionism I mean ... how can Global ever put a server in France again ... if they can ensure their users that their information is private ... at an average of ten questions an interesting one ... oh one and Bethany's mad as this week one of the justifiable permissible reasons for going and monitoring of French citizens online activity for instance it's not just the charity it's not just depends but the magistrate ... to protect the economic and scientific livelihood of France so ... it's pretty easy to read that as effectively industrial espionage ... but when protectionism issued you knowing that the St when the Snowden NSA story broke about the U S several months ago ... since then there's been a lot of eyes and excited happy talk among your key in ... tech circles and policy circles ... that this is our opening this is our chance to to go in a new link market share from Google and Gene Allen Facebook ... at you know if your team when users think that these American companies are going to be sending all their information directly to the Pentagon ... that would create a competitive opening for or Henri European rivals ... while ... that might still happen to me ... honestly think that ... maybe climb Greenwald in the New York Times in all these other outfits that are after the NSA ... should turn their focus to France apostasy all up Francais ... a Wall Street Journal Europe editorial writer Angeles' thank you so